Saturday, December 2, 2017

Christmas in Colorado #giveaway, #newrelease

By Cat Latimer - OF MURDER AND MEN - by Lynn Cahoon

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at the Warm Springs Writers Retreat. We have to be decorated by Thanksgiving because our December retreat is always the first week. And January's retreat isn't until mid month. That way we can decompress over the holidays. Besides, what's the benefit of running your own business if you don't make it work for you.

We have a ton of Christmas trees. Live of course. Each guest gets a baby tree in their room and the lobby has a ten foot spruce that Seth went to the woods to chop himself. The Forest Service loves seeing him come in for our permits because we drop a lot of money there. But it's once a year, right?

Shauna's been buying Christmas ornaments all year at yard sales to make sure we can make each room unique.

And me? I've been supervising. Okay, maybe I've been sneaking upstairs to my room to write, but I've been tasting all the cookies Shauna's been making.

What's your favorite Christmas tradition? One commenter will win a copy of OF MURDER AND MEN (just released - November 28th) US mailings only. (Lynn Cahoon will send you a digital copy of different book if you're out of the US.) Contest closes December 4th.

🎄❤ The 10ft tree is GORGEOUS! ❤🎄 What a nice touch, too, to have mini trees in each room! Love it!

I love putting up my tree; My mom started an ornament collection for me when I was young. Every Christmas growing up (sometimes birthdays, etc.), I received an ornament that she would box up, label it with the year, and record who it was from. However, when I was young, I didn't care at all about the ornaments. I never saw them because they were placed in storage right away, never to be seen again until the following year when I got another one...and watched her box it up. I was constantly thinking to myself how ridiculous it was that I was 7...8...9yrs old, getting an ornament! What...huh?!? UNTIL...I bought my 1st home and got my 1st tree! I then realized how AMAZING my mom was to have planned all these years for this moment! So wonderful! I like to put my tree up all by myself because I love looking at all of them one by one, and it takes time to carefully unbox each one and place it just right so that it won't fall and break (some of them are so delicate!). Truthfully, though, I'm scared my "helpers" won't be as careful as they should! Hehee! I'm so crazy about all of it that I would probably put a little fence around my tree if I could.😂 After that 1st Christmas I became a true collector of ornaments, making sure to buy one each time I went on vacation, as well as special, memorable places I visited. I also have reveived ornaments as gifts from my students and other family members. Still to this day, I continue to carefully label and box each one up, just like my mom did. I carried on the tradition and also started a collection for both of my nephews, who probably think it is just as ridiculous as I once did, but one day they, too, will see the value in this special gift! My tree is a representation of my life, those I love, places I've been, and beautiful memories that have been collected over the years. :-) Thank you so much for sharing...you made me smile! 😊

I decorate my mom's tabletop tree that she bought when she first moved to the U.S. back in early 70s. I have my childhood ornaments on it and it takes me back every time to my Christmas memories growing up. Thanks for the chance! Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

I enjoy our Christmas morning tradition of just me, my parents, and my brother opening stockings and presents and then having the special Christmas breakfast rolls my grandma always used to make. mcastor07(at)gmail(dot)com.

My favorite Christmas tradition was my Dad always arriving very early so he could go down the hall saying “Hohoho Santa’s been here!” and waking up my daughter to go see what was under the tree. It was a tradition that we all loved – including his granddaughter. When she had just turned a teenager, she actually woke up very early to get dressed and fixed up (you know teenagers when it comes to having their photos taken) and then crawled back into bed just so Pappaw could “wake her up” Christmas morning like he always did. I cherish these memories since both Dad and our daughter are together now having Christmas in heaven. <3

Although our Christmas has changed over the years, it’s good to cherish old memories and create new ones. We just downsized and moved in our new home this year at the opposite end of the state. Been a lot of adjustments including this Christmas decorating since there’s not the room to put up the seven Christmas trees of the past. However, we will have new experiences and joys this year as we celebrate Christmas making new traditions and memories.

We always would drive around our neighborhood when I was young during the 1950's and gaze at the beautiful decorations and lights. The snow was on the ground and the night was still and beautiful. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

My favorite tradition at Christmas is on Christmas morning after opening gifts is we have Cinnamon Buns for breakfast, it started about 35 or 40 years ago. One year I made a breakfast casserole and was told that is not what we do for breakfast so it was back to the rolls the next year.

I'm almost 83 and never saw my Christmas tree until Christmas morning.I was an only and sickly so when I went to bed I went right to sleep. When I married and had kids of my own my tree went up December 10 and with the ornaments of my childhood and new additions every year.My youngest family lives next door and use 83 years of ornaments and my grandson love to hear the stories of the ornaments.Ruth Nixon ruthenixon@sbcglobal.net

I love buying the tree and starting the decorating of it on the day after Thanksgiving. So many of the ornaments have been in the family for years and have special meaning that unpacking them, admiring them, and telling stories about them really slows down the decorating process so that it takes 2 or 3 days.suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Many years ago when we decided to have a Miller Christmas eve. This has been going on for over 40 years. My mother-in-law is the only grandma left. She is 96 so these later years are special. We do a pot luck and a male gift female gift exchange and just have a great time. nettiem(at)toledotel(dot)com

My mom and I used to go to a fancy Buffet for Christmas dinner that way no dishes and lots of food we would not get the rest of the year. Most fancy hotels have them at least in Canada. I miss that but I’m on my own so not as fun. I usually get something I would not make. Last year was Buffalo and the year before that was duck breast.

My favorite Christmas tradition is baking Christmas cookies with my Sister and also decorating the tree. After the tree is decorated, I like to shut off the lights and look at the tree in the dark.diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

My favorite is driving around in the historical district looking at the decorations and lights and the downtown Park etc. My Dad did that for my Sister and I so we still do it. We get a cup of hot cocoa and then spend a happy hour or two doing that.Marilyn ewatvess@yaoo.com

My husband has a very large family. We all get together once a year a few weeks before Christmas and have dinner together. Everyone brings something, it's a great feast with a lot of fun! lclee59(at)centurylink(dot)net

family tradition is to visit nursing home and bring an ornament for each person that is in the activity room when we are there, all handmade ornaments. Even though the residents may not have tree of their own they have bulletin boards. I have visited other times of the year an will see the ornament hanging there in June. thank you for the giveaway, Georgiaqueenvictoria50 (at) aol (dot) com

This will be our first Christmas in Michigan. We are in a rental this year and are doing things a little smaller than usual because so much of our stuff is still in boxes, but we are going to stick with one tradition of popping some popcorn and make strands with cranberries and popcorn to string on the tree. Looking forward to a white Christmas!

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We are the characters--major and minor--who inhabit the pages of some of your favorite cozy mysteries.We're coming out from between the covers and welcoming you into our lives.So grab a nice cuppa, settle in, and learn what happens when our authors aren't looking.